The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-11-02
DEFENSE OF YOUNG MEN.
DIVINE SERVICES IN THE BROOKLYN
TABERNACLE.

TABERNACLE.
DIR. Talmages's Advice to Those About
Starting in Lifo-No Way TO Genuine
Success Except Through Toll Either of
Head Hand.
BRooELYN, Oct 30.-Six thousand
people sitting and standing in the Brook
lyn Tabernacle, and all the adj Joining rooms
packed and people turned away! Such
was the scene today. The congregation
sang:
Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,
And press with vigor on.
The Rev. T. DE Witt TalInage, d. D..
preached on the subject, Defense of
Young Men, and took his text from II
Kings Vi, Il: And the Lord opened the
eyes Of the young man. He said:
One morning IN Dothan a young theo-
logical student was scared By finding
himself and Elisha, the prophet upon
whom he waited, surrounded by a whole
army Of enemies. But venerable Elisha
was not scared at ALL because he saw the
mountains fun of defense for him. In
chariOts made out Of fire, wheels of fire,
dashboard Of fire, and cushions of fire,
drawn by horses with nostrils Of fire, and
name Of fire and launches of fire. and
hoOfs Of fire-a supernatural appearance
that could not be seen with the natural
eye. So the old minister prayed that the
young minister might see them also, and
the prayer was answered, and the Lord
opened the eyes Of the young man and he
also saw the fiery procession, looking
somewhat, ! suppose, like the Adiron-
dacks or the Alleghanies in this autumnal
resplendence.
Many young men, standing among the
most tremendous realities, have their eyes
half shut or entirely closed. May God
grant that my sermon may open wide
your eyes to your safety, your opportu-
nifty and your destiny.
A mighty defense for a young man is
a good home. Some Of my hearers look
back with tender satisfaction to their
early home. 1t may have been rude and
rustic, hidden among the hills, and arChi-
tect or lstcrer never planned or
adorned IL 4 all the frescO on princely
walls ncy,. Dked 50 enticing to you as
those rough hewn rafters. You can
think Of no park or arbor Of trees planted
on fashionable country seat so attractive
rs the plain brook that ran in front of the
OH farm house and sang under the weep
ing willows. No barred gateway, adorned
with statue of bronze, and swung open
by ObsequiOus porter in full dress, has
half the glory Of the swing gate. Many
OF you have a second dwelling place your
adopted home, that also is sacred forever.
There you built the first family altar.
There your children were born. All
those trees you planted. That room is
solemn, because once in it. over the hot
pillow, tapped the wing Of death. Under
that roof you expect when your work is
done to lie down and die. You try with
many words TO tell the eXcellency of the
place, but you fail. There is only one
word in the language that can describe
your meaning. 1t is home.
Now, declare it, that young man is
comparatively safe who goes out into the
world with charm like this upon him.
The memory Of parental solcitude,
watching, planning and praying, will be
to him "a shield and a shelter. | never
knew "A man faithful both to his early
and adopted home, who at the same time
was given over to any gross form Of dis
sipation or wickedness. He who seeks
his enjoyment chiefly from outside asso-
citation, rather than from the moro quiet
and unpresuming pleasures of which l
have spoken, may be suspected to be on
the broad road To rum. Absalom de-
spised his fathers house, and you know
his history of sin and his death of shame.
If you seem unnecessarily isolated from
your kindred and former associates, is
there not some room that you can call
your own? Into it gather books, and
pictures, and n harp. Have a portrait
over the mantel. Make ungodly mirth
stand back from the threshold. Conse-
crate some spot with the knee of prayer.
BY the memory of other days, father S
counsel, and mothers love, and a sis
ter's confidence, call it home.
Another defense for a young man is
industrious habit Many young men, in
starting upon life III this age, except to
make their way through the world by the
use of their wits rather than the toll Of
their hands. A child now goes TO the city
and fails twice before he is as old as his
father was when he : saw the spires
of the great town. Sitting in some office,
rented at $1,000 year, he is waiting for
the bank to declare its dividend, or goes
into the market expecting before night to
be made rich by the rushing up of the
stocks But luck seemed SO dull he re-
solved ON some other tack. Perhaps he
borrowed from his employers money
drawer, and forgets to put it back, or for
merely the purpose of improving his PEN
manship makes a copyplate of mer-
chants signature. Never mind, all is
right in trade. In some dark night there
may come in his dreams vision of Black
wells Island or of Sing Sing, but it soon
vanishes. In a short time he will be
ready to retire from the busy world, and
amid his tlocks and herds culture the do
mcstic virtues Then those young men
who once were his schoolmates, and knew
no better than to engage in honest work,
will come with their OK teams to draw
him logs, and with their hard hands help
heave up his castle. This is no fancy
picture. 1t is every day life. | should
not wonder if there were some rotten
beams in that beautiful palace. | should
not wonder if dire siCknesses should smite
through the young man, or if God should
pour into his cup of life n draught that
would thrill him with unbearable agony.
should not wonder if his children should
become TO him living curse, making his
home a pest and disgrace. / should not
wonder if he goes to a miserable grave,
and beyond it into the gnashing of teeth.
The way of the ungodly shall perish.
My young friends, there is no way to
genuine success, except through toll
either OF the head or hand. At the battle
of Crecy. in 1876, the Prince of Wales,
finding himself heavily pressed by the
enemy, sent word to his father for help.
The father. watching the battle from a
windmill. and seeing that his son was not
wounded and could gain the day if he
= a.. N I
Let the 10y win his spurs, for if God
Will dcsirc that this Cay be his with all
lbs honors.N Young man. fight your own
battle all through, and YOU shall have the
victory. Oh, it is q battle worth fight,
ing. Two monarchs of old fought a duel,
Charles and Francis, and the stakes
were kingdoms, Milan and Burgundy.
You fight with sin, and the stake is
heaven or hell.
Do not get the fatal idea that YOU are
"a genius, and that therefore there is no
need of close application. 1t is here
where nultitudes fail. The great curse
of this age is the geniuses, men with
enormous self conceit and egotisnl, and
nothing else. l had rather be an OK than
an eagle; plain and plodding and useful.
rather than high flying and good Tor
nothing but to pick out the eyes of car
casses. Extraordinary capacity without
use is extraordinary failure. There is no
hope for that person who begins life re-
solved to i've by his wits, for the proba-
bilty is he has not any. 1t was not safe
for Adam, even in his unfaIlen state. to
have nothing to do, and therefore God
commanded him to be farmer and hor-
ticulturist- He was to dress the garden and
keep it, and had he and his wife obeyed
the divine injunction and been at work,
they would not have been sauntering
IL,